Plantguy Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Hi gang, As you all know vegetation back in the Carboniferous (295-355 million years ago) was very abundant. Coal Swamps and similar damp environments were seemingly everywhere. How many different Countries, Counties and States do you have plant examples from? Seed Ferns, Lepidodendron, Calamites, Annularia, Stigmaria, etc. are all welcome. All sizes, shapes and quality, Museum and non-museum pieces. Please show us. Here are several photos of plant fossils from Braxton County, West Virginia that I was very fortunate enough to acquire thru Ebay some time ago. I believe these are partial Cordaites leaves and I am not sure what the small irregular vein-like structures are in the lower specimen. Any experts please chime in. Thanks! Regards, Chris Here are a number of various Lepidodendron branches showing leaf scars and attached leaves(Lepidophylloides): This branch has what I believe is a small segment of another Cordaites leaf covering it mid-branch. The shale is very fragile so at this point I'm not going to try to remove it. A terminal branch tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Nice topic! The Carboniferous Coal Measures are very widespread, yielding finds in many countries. I'm very curious what kind of localities will be posted here; must be interesting to see plant fossils from all over the world. There are many others here that probably have far better quality American specimens, so I won't post those. I'd rather see the beauties on the other side of the pond from you guys. From the European Mainland: The Netherlands: Eusphenopteris striata (Gothan) Novik, 1947 Locality: DSM Emma-Hendrik spoil tip near Brunssum, The Netherlands Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian AB (Langsettian-Duckmantian) Belgium: Alethoperis davreuxii (Brongniart) Zeiller, 1886 (vertical scale of the image about 16 cm) Locality: Mons area, Belgium Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian C (Bolsovian), Flenú Fm. Germany: Sigillaria mamillaris Brongniart, 1824 Locality: Piesberg quarry near Osnabrück, Germany Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian CD (Bolsovian-Asturian) Spain: Callipteridium jongmansii (Bertrand) Wagner, 1958 Locality: Garaño-La Magdalena, León, Spain Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Stephanian B France: Callipteridium (Eucallipteridium) gigas (Gutbier) Weiss, 1877 Locality: Montceau-les-Mines, France Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Stephanian Czech Republic: Sphenophyllum majus (Bronn) Bronn, 1835 Locality: Rakovnik, Czech Republic Age: Carboniferous, Bolsovian, Lower Radnice Coal (?) Australia: (non-European, I know, haha) Nothorhacopteris argentinica Archangelsky, 1983 Locality: Wards River, New South Wales. Australia Age: Carboniferous, Westphalian, McInnes Formation My apologies for the small photo-size, but I was limited by the 2Mb maximum. Larger photos of most specimens are posted in the Gallery anyway though... Edited September 12, 2010 by paleoflor Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Couldn't resist doing another round of photos The Netherlands: Palmatopteris cf. sturii Gothan, 1913 Locality: DSM Emma-Hendrik spoil tip near Brunssum, The Netherlands Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian AB (Langsettian-Duckmantian) Calamites carinatus Sternberg, 1823 Locality: Laura-Julia spoil tip near Eygelshoven, The Netherlands Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian A (Langsettian) Belgium: Calamites suckowii Brongniart, 1828 Locality: Mons area, Belgium Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian C (Bolsovian), Flenú Fm. Eusphenopteris trigonophylla (Behrend) van Amerom, 1975 Locality: Mons area, Belgium Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian C (Bolsovian), Flenú Fm. Spain: Linopteris neuropteroides (Gutbier) Zeiller, 1899 Locality: Garaño-La Magdalena, León, Spain Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Stephanian B France: Odontopteris minor Brongniart, 1831 Locality: Montceau-les-Mines, France Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Stephanian Annularia stellata (Sternberg) Wood, 1861 Locality: Montceau-les-Mines, France Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Stephanian Edited September 12, 2010 by paleoflor Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Colorful Annularia Fossil from Mazon Creek with closeup shots of microstructure. PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Loving all these pics, thanks for posting them! :wub: -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Colorful Annularia Fossil from Mazon Creek with closeup shots of microstructure. PL Very nice! I particularly like the close-up (only one on 2nd row) where you can see the contrast between rock- and leaf texture. The specimen shown on the second photo (1st row) somewhat resembles the Annularia sphenophylloides specimens I know from Europe. Does this species occur in the Mazon Creek flora also? Edited January 17, 2010 by paleoflor Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docdutronc Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Hello my friends, the snow has finally disappeared, some small Sigillaria collected this weekend, there are suberbs your specimens Paleoflor, thank you for sharing with us..... Sigillaria tessellata Brongniart ,Lievin aera ,Bolsovian (westphalian C) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txemiku Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Hello people, even when fossil plants are not my first interest( trilobites) i was lucky enough to visit great outcrops in Leon (north Spain) some are from Garano, La magdalena, etc. Hope you like them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Very nice! I particularly like the close-up (only one on 2nd row) where you can see the contrast between rock- and leaf texture. The specimen shown on the second photo (1st row) somewhat resembles the Annularia sphenophylloides specimens I know from Europe. Does this species occur in the Mazon Creek flora also? I believe so... Sphenopsid foliage element Sphenophyllum sp. You also have a superb collection of plant fossils! Thanks everyone for sharing you fossil images... wonderful stuff. PL Edited January 17, 2010 by pleecan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docdutronc Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Good evening my friends .... tonight I'll show you a rare plant in the coal in northern France, Ulodendron majus Lindley and Hutton, the trunk bears "ulodendroides" scars and shorter leaves, it comes from the region Bruay another Ulodendron montagnei was in Lievin aera described in 1911 by Professor Bertrand, this trunk shows a double ombilicic...... this specimen from the collection of my friend Herve Dusquesne who kindly allowed me to show you this picture To my knowledge Ulodendron montagnei was found in one taxon to date...very rare rare .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 Good evening my friends .... tonight I'll show you a rare plant in the coal in northern France, Ulodendron majus Lindley and Hutton, the trunk bears "ulodendroides" scars and shorter leaves, it comes from the region Bruay another Ulodendron montagnei was in Lievin aera described in 1911 by Professor Bertrand, this trunk shows a double ombilicic...... this specimen from the collection of my friend Herve Dusquesne who kindly allowed me to show you this picture To my knowledge Ulodendron montagnei was found in one taxon to date...very rare rare .... Bruno, Glad the snow has given you a chance to go collecting again. Very nice Sigillaria! Thanks for sharing another example from Herve's collection. You both have some very fine exceedingly rare material! Tell him thank you for all of us! Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Mostly from Leon (La Magdalena)Spain, Stephanian B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 ...and more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 Nice topic! The Carboniferous Coal Measures are very widespread, yielding finds in many countries. I'm very curious what kind of localities will be posted here; must be interesting to see plant fossils from all over the world. There are many others here that probably have far better quality American specimens, so I won't post those. I'd rather see the beauties on the other side of the pond from you guys. From the European Mainland: The Netherlands: Eusphenopteris striata (Gothan) Novik, 1947 Locality: DSM Emma-Hendrik spoil tip near Brunssum, The Netherlands Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian AB (Langsettian-Duckmantian) Belgium: Alethoperis davreuxii (Brongniart) Zeiller, 1886 (vertical scale of the image about 16 cm) Locality: St. Antoine spoil tip (No. 18) near Elouges, Belgium Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian C (Bolsovian), Flenú Fm. Germany: Sigillaria mamillaris Brongniart, 1824 Locality: Piesberg quarry near Osnabrück, Germany Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Westphalian CD (Bolsovian-Asturian) Spain: Callipteridium jongmansii (Bertrand) Wagner, 1958 Locality: Garaño-La Magdalena, León, Spain Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Stephanian B France: Callipteridium (Eucallipteridium) gigas (Gutbier) Weiss, 1877 Locality: Montceau-les-Mines, France Age: Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Stephanian Czech Republic: Sphenophyllum majus (Bronn) Bronn, 1835 Locality: Rakovnik, Czech Republic Age: Carboniferous, Bolsovian, Lower Radnice Coal (?) Australia: (non-European, I know, haha) Nothorhacopteris argentinica Archangelsky, 1983 Locality: Wards River, New South Wales. Australia Age: Carboniferous, Westphalian, McInnes Formation My apologies for the small photo-size, but I was limited by the 2Mb maximum. Larger photos of most specimens are posted in the Gallery anyway though... Thanks for posting the variety of plant material. Super collection. I especially like seeing the Australian material! I need to go out in the gallery to see all of your material again. Outstanding provenance and picture quality--all of which I definitely need to work on in my collection! Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 Hi all, Thank you all for adding material faster than I can type replies to--what a wonderful minor problem to have. We all have a similar passion and its wonderful to show the diversity of material from around the world. pleecan---love the unbelievable color in those annularia. What do we attribute that to? Most of the material I've seen has been very impressive but not so distinctively different. Is that material from one particular pit or site? txemicu---what a wonderful area that you were able to collect from in Spain. I especially like that last photo. What is that branch/trunk from? I cant tell---its not Lepidodendron--one of the other lycopods.. Hope I didnt miss acknowledging anyone. I'll review tomorrow...I've got to go do some chores---the wife is calling---Enjoy all of your weekend! Keep posting...I saw some interesting material recently from Alabama, Arkansas---did anyone acquire that from ebay? Do we have any collectors in those states who have frequented those coal areas? I wish we could give everyone a camera...I know there are some unphotographed treasures out there. Best Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Keep posting...I saw some interesting material recently from Alabama, Arkansas---did anyone acquire that from ebay? Do we have any collectors in those states who have frequented those coal areas? I wish we could give everyone a camera...I know there are some unphotographed treasures out there. Best Regards, Chris I've been picking up some Alabama specimens from the Warrior Creek Basin (pottsville member) off E-bay recently: http://shop.ebay.com/bamafossil/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25 He posts one or two pieces from time to time along with Amphibian and insect trackways. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docdutronc Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 The sigillaria tree in all its shapes ....For me this is the last post of the evening, the weekend is over, tomorrow is another day to work, to see you soon my friends .... best regards bruno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nala Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Hello, few picts of my carboniferous plants-Polymorphopteris (pecopteris ) polymorpha ,Brongniart 1834 North of France -Annularia radiata North of France -Calamnite from the South of France -Pecopteris from the States Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placoderms Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Fern and Cordaitales? from Grandledge MI Root from Hazard, KY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) Wow! This is a fantastic photo-display, really neat! @ Plantguy: thanks, glad you like it. The Australian material came to me by trade. It is not very common, because the Australian Carboniferous outcrops are small, and far between. Also, during Pennsylvanian times, the continent was outside the tropical zone, and the resulting flora is rather different from the Euramerican floras. I only own two pieces, so I hope someone here on the forum can post more and better Australian material… @ txmiku and MOROPUS: Very nice Spanish material! I particularly like the Callipteridium sp. (1st photo txmiku) and the (I think) Autunia sp. (4th photo MOROPUS). @ Docdutronc: Great, have fun fossil hunting on the spoil tips again! I wish I could take a week off and do the same. Living far away from any rock is frustrating at times. Well, seeing all the nice photo’s here is a good substitute. Nice compilation of Sigillaria also, especially the attachment of strobili (upper left corner); great photo! Finally, very nice Ulodendron specimen! You do not encounter those often. Herve has found something rather special indeed. For those who are interested in a bit of background: Ulodendron (oppositely arranged) and Halona (helically arranged) are morphogenera representing Lepidophloios-type stems that exhibit large, elliptical to circular scars (diameter up to several cm). The origin of these scars is still unclear and has been debated for many years. They may represent either the remnants of the attachment points of vegetative (sterile) branches that abscised during normal growth, or the former positions of specialized (strobili bearing) branches. There is also no definite answer on the generic position of the two morphogenera. According to Jonker (1976) Ulodendron represents scars on the axes of Lepidodendron, Lepidophloios and Bothrodendron, which represent former positions of branches that abscised in a similar manner to modern gymnosperms and angiosperms. Contrastingly, Thomas (1967) postulated Ulodendron to be a natural genus, based on the persistent leaves, rhomboidal leaf bases and shallow lingule pits. A third opinion was formulated by DiMichele (1980), who suggested Ulodendron is congeneric with Paralycopodites. No consensus yet… (for more background, see also: Taylor, Taylor and Krings, 2009) N.B. Of course I lean towards the opinion of F.P. Jonker (1912-1995), who was a researcher here at Utrecht University @ Nala: Did you make the Alethopteris-model yourself? Looks nice! (Alethopteris cf. serlii) Can someone please post some plants from the St. Clair quarry, PA, like the one on the photograph? I expect that some of you have very nice material from this locality… (and is it true that this locality is no longer open for fossil collecting? this would really be a shame) Ciao! Tim Edited January 18, 2010 by paleoflor Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placoderms Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 I was at a club meeting on Saturday were they were giving away a lot of the St Clair material. Never been there myself. Here is a piece my son picked up: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nala Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Hi,i have purchased the Alethopteris a long time ago,it show a good view on the actual plant and the fossil.Here is some other carboniferous plants- Polymorphopteris (pecopteris ) polymorpha ,Brongniart 1834 ,Ales south of France-Fern from Poland -Syringodendron,Frejus south of France -St Clair carry Alethopteris -Mazon Creek nodules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleoflor Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) Fern and Cordaitales? from Grandledge MI Root from Hazard, KY Nice specimens! I have not before seen material from these localities. Do you know more about the local stratigraphy? And thanks for posting the St. Clair material Edited January 18, 2010 by paleoflor Searching for green in the dark grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placoderms Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 This might be helpful: http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-ogs-gimdl-PU40A.pdf Also if you have JSTOR access: http://www.jstor.org/pss/30084932 This is only 40 miles from my house so I sometimes take the kids here. I will probably be getting rid of some Grand Ledge ferns in the next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placoderms Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 More info on Hazard, I will also be getting rid of some Hazard material in the next month: http://www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/KPS/pages/hazard.html http://www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/KPS/pages/tetrapod.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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